Wealth cannot be acquired miraculously: Anglican Bishops tell Tanzanian pastorpreneurs

Tabora. The Bishop of the Anglican Church of Tanzania, Dr Maimbo Fabian, has expressed astonishment at the increasing number of pastors and young people leaving the Christian faith to pursue miraculous wealth through prayer, without making any effort to work.

Dr Fabian’s remarks came shortly after Vice President, Dr Philip Mpango urged religious leaders to join the government in condemning harmful teachings and actions within the community that violate national laws, including those by some religious leaders themselves.

Recently, the government closed down what used to be known as the Christian Life Church and expelled its leader, Pastor Domique Kashoix Dibwe, commonly known by his hapless followers as 'Kiboko ya Wachawi', a Congolese national.

The group was accused of spreading alarmist teachings, promoting practices contrary to Tanzanian ethics, customs, and the Societies Act’s provisions, and inciting violence against individuals suspected of witchcraft.

And, speaking during the fourth national conference of the Anglican Church of Tanzania on Sunday, Dr Fabian noted the rising trend of these individuals abandoning Christianity to seek wealth through miraculous means.

"There is a large group of pastors and young people who are abandoning Christianity and flocking to churches—specific ones that I won't name—seeking miracles. Since they don't understand that what happens there is mere showmanship, they end up being exploited," he said, adding:

"We have many pastors who have left the church and moved there. Some have even changed their religion by rejecting the cross. It has reached a point where people are forgetting teachings and doing what they know. Recently, I was watching a case from Sumbawanga where three girls were converted within an hour, all changing religions. This situation is shocking and must be strongly condemned."

On his part, the Bishop of the Tabora Diocese of the Anglican Church of Tanzania, Dr Elias Chakupewa, said there was a need for the government to intervene and take legal action against churches that engage in misleading practices.

"It is necessary for the government to intervene and take legal action against churches that conduct deceptive services. If people are trained to seek wealth through prayer, this is a corrupt teaching," he said, adding:

"The Bible clearly states that when God created man, He gave Adam the Garden of Eden to tend. There is no place where God said that a person could acquire wealth without working. Therefore, these corrupt teachings that cause people not to work and instead win at church by being told to open their wallets for money are practices that should be banned."

A member of the church, Adventina Mkosya, said that deceptive prayers gaining popularity in churches should be addressed because the generation is perishing due to lack of knowledge.

"These deceptive prayers are misleading because a person is told to receive a director's job while they have only finished primary school. Therefore, the government needs to take action because we are heading towards a generation that will attend church without working," she said.

A member of the Anglican Church from Zanzibar George Simon, said the rise of churches teaching false doctrines in the country calls for the government’s immediate action.

"We have seen that even recently in Rwanda, President Kagame closed some churches that were engaging in misleading practices. Therefore, here too, an investigation should be conducted and those found deceiving people should face severe legal consequences," he said.